This week, West goes west, pregnancy pampering at Revival Retreat and a royally good bite at the theatre.

VIP Launch @ West on the Corner

Many Glaswegians would say West is best. I'm talking about beer, of course. The company might have Bavarian roots - MD Petra Wetzel, pictured, is from Bamberg - but their brew is distinctly Glasgow. Their top-selling tipple is St Mungo, named after our patron saint, who was a brewer himself. Clever lad.

For the last ten years, West's home has been the old Templeton carpet factory, a beautifully ornate building on the edge of Glasgow Green. The brewery and bar are jammed to the rafters most weekends and, whenever the sun comes out, to the edges of their incredibly popular beer garden (one of the best in the city).

However, this week, West has moved, er, west, having added another venue to their collection with West on the Corner. They opened a pop-up on Woodlands Road during the Commonwealth Games last year in the old Halt bar (which had been there for donkeys); now, though, after months of renovation they've finally opened their doors for good.

It's entirely different from their premises on the Green, which has something of a beer hall vibe. West on the Corner is classier, with clean Scandinavian lines and (on a good day) as much sunshine as any beer garden, honestly, you would not believe how light it is! There are two main areas within, a bar and a restaurant with an open kitchen.

In the bar, starting our tour of the taps aff: they have all the usual suspects - straight up West, St Mungo, West Black and Hefeweizen. The bar itself has a buzzy feel and I think will soon become a firm favourite for many Westenders. The restaurant and the menu stick to a Bavarian theme, and although similar to the fare offered in the original West, a bit more fancy.

We ordered a little something of everything, with a Beef Goulash and a Lentil and Apricot soup to start, a Wiener Schnitzel (which, entertainingly, the waitress was still getting used to saying!) with duck egg and a Bratwurst burger for our mains, followed by Apple Strudel and West beer Ice Cream to follow.

The food was good, I was a surprised fan of the beer ice cream which was a new one for me and the Bratwurst burger really tasted like Bratwurst, so a nice departure from your usual beefy burger. I think the kitchen (like the waitress) might still be working out how to get things just so but I have no doubt that they will get there. So, as The Pet Shop Boys said go West… I don't think you'll regret it.

Pregnancy Pampering @ Revival Retreat

Pregnancy is one of the most incredible things I have ever experienced. It can also be a right pain in the back. Apparently, growing a lovely wee blighter also means a growing amount of the hormone relaxin in your body as well. Now, when I first heard about this 'relaxin', I thought, 'Brilliant! Sounds ace, one of my favourite things is relaxin' on the beach with a cocktail mocktail in my hand'.

However, I now know, relaxin ain't much of a holiday. It causes your joints to loosen up (to help get the baby out!) and although clearly A.Good.Thing it also means that your back takes much more strain that usual. So, this week I thought I'd treat myself to some pregnancy pampering at Revival Retreat.

Revival Retreat on Byres Road has been my go to beauty salon for some time, all their therapists are extremely well trained and always go above and beyond, whether it's a manicure or a full on body-overhaul. They recently opened a salon in town on Renfield Street, complete with four treatment rooms and a training academy downstairs: yup, they know how to make you pretty upstairs and downstairs!

A number of treatments aren't recommended when you're pregnant, especially in your first trimester. However, now pushing (no pun intended) into my third, I was able to go for a pregnancy pedicure and a massage, something I've been wanting/needing to do for a while. I booked in with Natalie and she managed, somehow, to get me walking like a normal person by the time I left - not even a hint of the baby back bend - after ironing out my creases and popping a spring in my swollen step!

If you know someone expecting (and, possibly, expecting a gift!) or you're working your back off to make a human yourself, I highly recommend a visit to Revival Retreat; because, as people keep telling me, 'You won't have time once the baby arrives!

Balcony Bites @ The Theatre Royal

The Theatre Royal raised the curtain on their new atrium earlier in the year: the theatre's entrance has seen a multi-million pound renovation and, perhaps, the jewel in their brand new crown is the new cafe Vanilla Black.

Vanilla Black used to be on Sauchiehall Street but relocated to the theatre when it reopened. They have a small cafe on the entrance level, complete with cakes that take your breath away. I've been dreaming about their Chocolate Orange Cake - it's not Terry's it's Cat's! - ever since and the meringues were, at least, the size of my head!

In addition to the cafe, Vanilla Black also have a space on the top floor beside the new roof top terrace. The semi-circular terrace is huge, has views all the ways to The Campsies on a good day (remember those?) and is an incredible outdoor space for the city centre. The plan is for parties and launch nights, summer barbecues and drinks do's to be held there, as well as folk being free to have a wee wander with a cuppa and a cake - both during the day and in the intervals.

The theatre is hosting Balcony Bites every Friday this month, so people can go and sample some of Vanilla Black's fantastic menu (aside from those smashing cakes!) and see some local, upcoming talent perform. It's worth checking out, or if you just want to have a gander across the city, go and have a look at their roof terrace (and sample some of that delicious cake whilst you're at it!)

Wee Bird Recommends

This week the Southside Fringe kicked off and with so much going on over the next two weeks, there's a Wee something for everyone. As well as being the biggest festival yet, with over 170 events, there'll also be the Fringe's first Ceilidh (at Loks), the Southside's first Mela and a sneaky peak preview show of the Glasgow Festival of Burlesque. For more events and Fringe benefits, check out their website.